


Like a Pair of Leather Trousers

by Ashii Black (ashiiblack)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fashion & Couture, Humor, M/M, Makeover, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-23
Updated: 2012-02-23
Packaged: 2017-11-08 09:28:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/441717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashiiblack/pseuds/Ashii%20Black
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scorpius agrees to dress Albus for Victoire’s wedding, but ends up getting more involved than he planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for hp_nextgen_fest 2012 on LJ. Slash prompt 205, criticized by his cousins Victoire and Roxanne, Albus seeks fashion advice from the most dashing boy at Hogwarts: Scorpius Malfoy, son of the world renowned robe designer Astoria Greengrass. Just so everyone knows, the moment I saw this prompt, I squealed. I DID change Victoire to Dominique to help with age differences so there can be more Hogwarts stuff going on. Also, special thanks to [](http://icicle33.livejournal.com/profile)[**icicle33**](http://icicle33.livejournal.com/) for being such an amazing beta and encouraging me to keep writing when I was no longer inspired. Also, special thanks to the mods for putting this fest on! (also, this was my VERY FIRST fest fic!)

Scorpius Malfoy glanced around the Ravenclaw Common Room, where he was enjoying one of their infamous post-exam drinks. He took a sip of his Firewhisky, clearly thinking about something with much determination. This Ravenclaw party was unbelievably dull. He had resorted to playing one of the lamest games he had ever learned. Surely, the Slytherin bash he was planning for next month would be far better for everyone involved. Finally, he opened his mouth. “Marry She-Weasley. Boff _both_ Scamanders. Kill James Potter.”

“Scorp, that’s cheating,” whined Dominique Weasley. “You can only boff one person.” She pouted as she took a shot of something colorful and winced at the taste.

“I just told you I want to marry and kill two of your cousins and your concerns are the merits of boffing a set of identical twins?” Scorpius raised an eyebrow at his best friend. “Especially since the last time I checked, Lysander and Lorcan were straight. Do you want to call me out on that too?”

Dominique chuckled. “No, I suppose not. Do you care to elaborate on your choices?”

Scorpius tilted his head to the left. “She-Weasley is smart, so I think I can deal with spending my life with her. I would boff the twins, because, let’s face it, who doesn’t want twins?” I would kill James Potter, because he’s a bloody idiot,” Scorpius rubbed a bruise on his left forearm. “I hate Seekers who cheat.”

Dominique leaned into Scorpius. “James cheats, Lily is a slut, and Al has the worst fashion sense in the world. Who would have thought the Saviour of the Wizarding World would have pumped out such losers for children?”

“Don’t get me started about _Al_. That bloke couldn’t tell the difference from cashmere and sheep wool.”

They looked over in the corner, where Albus Severus Potter was attempting to guzzle two pints of ale at once, Rose Weasley and James cheering him on. He wore a hideous too-tight green sweater with puff balls, a pair of baggy brown trousers, and shoes that looked as though they had been taken out of his father’s dorm room. His hair grew past his shoulders and had clearly not been given a proper wash in days.

Dominique giggled. “How is it that he _always_ manages to mismatch his day clothes? Do you think he’s colorblind?”

“It isn’t just me, right?” Scorpius asked, excited to engage in some playful gossip. “It isn’t that my mother is a designer? He is legitimately a fashion disaster?”

She rolled her eyes and gently slugged Scorpius. “Oh yes, of course, you have a very famous fashion designer mother, blah, blah, blah.”

Scorpius smirked. “In any case, something needs to be done about that fashion mess.”

“Do you think you would be able to fix him?” Dominique asked suddenly.

“Me? Fix Albus Severus bloody Potter?” He would need a serious haircut, a daily facial cleansing regimen, a _completely_ new wardrobe…he would probably require etiquette lessons as well, what with the way he eats.”

“Fine, fine. I just figured you of all people would be able to help a hopeless cause.”

“Plus, why would I even want to help?” Scorpius asked, running his fingers through his perfect blond hair. “He’s a sad excuse for a Ravenclaw. He spends all of his time in the bloody Gryffindor Common Room, and scraped only a few “Os” last year. No, for me to take on a project of that caliber, I would need a serious incentive.”

Dominique winked. “I would offer myself up, but I know I’m not your type.”

“It’s true. Not having a cock _does_ give you a disadvantage.”

“It’s just...” Dominique looked a little uncomfortable. “My sister is getting married during the hols. I don’t think I can handle dealing with that mess of a bloke every time I want to look at pictures to remember that day.”

Scorpius looked his friend up and down and narrowed his eyes at her soft, puppy-like ones. “You’re such a bloody Slytherin! You planned on asking me about the little Potter the moment you walked up to me, didn’t you?”

“Of course, my darling. I’m surprised you didn’t figure it out earlier.”

“Well, as close as we are,” Scorpius began, stretching his arms in the air. “I don’t particularly wish to do this out of the kindness of my heart.”

“I’ll give you 20 Galleons if you can dress him and clean him up for the wedding. If you can get him to dress normally _all_ the time, I will give you my limited edition vintage Gucci clutch.”

Scorpius dropped his Firewhiskey, his mouth hanging open. Some of the students started staring at them, but he paid no attention to them. “The limited edition vintage Gucci clutch? The one my mother couldn’t get because _your_ mother flirted with the delivery boy first?”

“The very one.”

“Rotten Veela powers,” Scorpius muttered. “Okay, so if I can make Potter presentable for the wedding, I get 20 Galleons, but if I turn him into a fashion-conscious pouf, I get the Gucci clutch?”

Dominique grinned wickedly and held out her hand. Scorpius took it and they shook.

“Am I supposed to walk up and make him change his clothes?” Scorpius asked.

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that. Roxanne and I have it covered.”

“You’re going to help me?” Scorpius asked, confused.

“Oh, I’m offering you 20 Galleons to dress my cousin. The clutch is if you can go above and beyond the call of duty, which is highly unlikely,” Dominique replied confidently.

“You are going to regret saying that,” Scorpius responded. “Come, let’s join in on the festivities instead of looking like the shady Slytherins in the corner!”

Dominique groaned as Scorpius pulled her out to the dance area. “But we are shady Slytherins in the corner.”

 

******

Albus Potter winced at the light coming in from the window. He groaned and covered his face with his blanket.

Last night had been insane. He had never had so much to drink before. In fact, he had no idea how he managed to get into his dorm room. Glancing at the four poster bed next to him, he saw his best mate, Geoff Zabini sleeping next to a Hufflepuff girl a year behind them.

Albus thought back to his first year, when he wrote to his parents, asking if Geoff could stay with them for part of the summer hols. Both his dad and mum were overly nice to Geoff, and when Geoff’s parents came to pick him up, Albus witnessed a both amusing and incredibly awkward conversation. James had explained to him later on that Geoff’s father was not only a Slytherin, (which meant something different when his parents went to school), but he also had an enormous crush on their mum. Apparently, there had been a spectacle at a Ministry event several months before his parents got married.

Geoff was the best student in their year, beating out even Rose. Albus always admired him for that, seeing as his own marks were less-than-impressive for a Ravenclaw. Geoff frequently teased him for being sorted into the wrong House. More than that though was the fact that Geoff was also incredibly good-looking. He had olive-toned skin, piercing hazel eyes, and an afro that he grew long. Even after a night of drinking and sex, he still looked impeccable. He was clearly blessed by the Zabini family traits.

Himself, on the other hand? Albus glanced at his face in the mirror next to him. He was a teenager plagued by acne, freckles, and more hair than he could manage. Honestly, he had never really given much thought to his appearance. Sure, he knew he wasn’t all that attractive, but he wasn’t attracted to anyone. He hardly even had a sex drive. In fact, while his dorm mates were wanking at night, he was writing.

That was what he enjoyed doing: writing. Nothing else invoked a passion in him, not even the strip tease Angela Boot did for him on his 16th birthday last month. No, he would sit and write for hours, sometimes forgetting to do his homework. He wrote all sorts of things, fiction, non-fiction, mystery, romance, horror, humor, diatribe, anything. He had stacks of notebooks filled with his writing. When he was 12, his father (sick of paying for all of the ink) introduced him to Muggle composition notebooks and Biros. This made writing far easier.

Looking back into the mirror, he sighed. His hair was now well past his shoulders. He knew that as a 16-year-old boy, he should probably be showering and taking better care of himself, but he just couldn’t bring himself to care.

Other people cared. His cousins, Roxanne and Dominique, were downright cruel when it came to him. They called him names, stole his notebooks and wouldn’t give them back until he let one of them wash him (meaning an Aguamenti charm coupled with a Scorgify - a rather painful experience). His sister, Lily, often turned a blind eye to the behavior, instead choosing to keep her popular status with her cousins. James and Geoff, while they defended him in the public eye, frequently told him that he really did need to start looking less like an ogre and more like a human.

Albus sat up and fumbled for his Hangover tonic. He drank it in one swig and shuddered. Taking off his nightshirt, he changed into a pair of black trousers and a blue button-up shirt. There. That matched. Albus glanced at his hairbrush, sitting at the bottom of his trunk, but found no motivation to use it.

******

Albus found himself sitting at the Ravenclaw table in the Great Hall several minutes later. He plopped next to Rose, who already had her freckled face buried in a large tome, several other books spread in front of her. "Morning," he smiled.

Rose glanced up and pushed her reading glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Morning Albus. I heard you had a rough night."

He shrugged. "Don't remember half of it," he replied, and took a slice of toast from the middle of the table.

"Oh, Hugo told me that you took your jumper off and dived off the stairs."

He winced. "I wondered why my whole body was sore."

She patted him on the shoulder. "You look like death."

Albus stuffed the toast in his mouth. "Don't I always?"

"That's the spirit!" a voice giggled from behind him. Albus turned and saw Roxanne and Dominique Weasley smirking at him.

"Oh? And how are you ladies this morning? I think I can still smell the vomit from your hair," Rose commented icily.

The two girls rolled their eyes. Dominique had her mother's good looks, with big blue eyes, pale skin, and blonde hair. Honestly, the only difference between her and Aunt Fleur was that she kept her hair cut short. Roxanne looked more like a Weasley, but colored her hair to a scarlet red and spent hours every day treating it for its frizz. Instead, it hung in large locks halfway down her back. She had freckles, but they were lightly sprinkled over her face, as opposed to Rose. The two of them were the queens of Slytherin; hell, they were the queens of Hogwarts. They were inseparable, both manipulating all of the other students (and professors) to bend at their will. In a way, Albus admired them. The two of them were beautiful, but far from helpless. In fact, most men cowered at their feet. One thing was for sure though, and that was that they were not to be messed with.

"You may also note that I match today," Albus said, putting a hand on Rose's forearm. He didn't like to argue with them. There wasn't much of a point, and it was just easier to be nice to them than to try and fight.

Both of them burst out laughing. "Yes, sure, you match, but your trousers are FAR too short and your shirt has a giant hole in the back," Roxanne clutched Dominique for support as she spoke.

Albus couldn't help it. He turned and glanced behind him. Sure enough, there was a gaping hole just under the stitching over his shoulder that went all the way down to his lower back. He turned red, and then did something he always did whenever Dominique and Roxanne got too mean: he closed his eyes and instead focused on his latest piece of writing –two girls getting lost in a forest and have to deal with their worst fears. His father had taught him this trick, citing a time when he was able to avoid hexing his aunt by thinking about broomstick care. His mum had later revealed that in the end, he had blown her up to the size of a hot air balloon, but the theory was still effective. In fact, he had gotten so good at it, he was able to look right at his cousins and see their mouths spewing hate, but was unable to hear anything they said. His ears did perk up at a new voice.

"If it isn't my two favorite Slytherins!" Scorpius' voice rang out across the Great Hall. He strode over to them and wrapped his arms around their shoulders, giving them both a kiss on the cheek.

Scorpius Malfoy was the son of Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass. His father and Scorpius’ father were rivals at Hogwarts, but after the Second War, they seemed to have made amends. They weren't friends by far, but Albus knew they had gone out for drinks several times after work. Scorpius looked nearly identical to his father, but despite his pointed face, his features were softer. A smile looked far more natural on Scorpius' face.

Personality-wise, Scorpius was a Slytherin to the core. He made sure that people got what they deserved, both good and bad. While not as bad as Dominique or Roxanne, he had most of the school eating out of the palm of his hand. He was charming, funny, and a bit of a bastard all rolled into one. He and Albus had worked together on several projects in different classes throughout the years and he had been quite kind. They even got good marks on their projects, meaning he was also quite smart. Albus appreciated that Scorpius was still nice to him, even though his two best friends berated him every day about his looks. Scorpius was also openly gay, which was surprising coming from such a conservative family.

Roxanne hung on Scorpius' arm. "Can you _believe_ the nerve of Albus to walk in public looking like that?"

Scorpius tilted his head and looked at Albus' worn shirt. "I appreciate a man trying to make a new fashion statement," he finally said, his eyes sparkling. "However, Potter, maybe you should get that hole fixed. I don't think society is ready for that look yet."

He lifted his wand and waved it back and forth, muttering a spell. Albus felt the clothes on his back stitch back up, adding to the fabric that had gone missing. He looked down and saw that the shirt had been completely fixed. Dominique and Roxanne both pouted and crossed their arms. "It's a shame that wand can't fix ugly either," Roxanne said nastily.

"Now, now Roxanne. I'm sure a very attractive man is hiding behind that hair," Scorpius flashed a grin at Albus.

"Plus, some of us don't waste hours on end trying to look like skanks," Rose jumped in, narrowing her eyes at the three Slytherins in front of them.

"You know, she is right, you are wearing far too much eye makeup," Scorpius teased Dominique, who slugged him in the arm and stomped off with Roxanne.

Albus stood up and faced Scorpius. "Thanks."

Scorpius deeply took in Albus' appearance. He brought his fingers (with perfectly clipped and polished nails) to his chin. "Not a problem. My friends can be…unnecessarily mean sometimes, right? Here, let me make it up to you. I'll walk you to class."

Rose raised an eyebrow at Scorpius' invitation. He leaned to the left so he had a good view of her. "It's not a marriage proposal Weasley."

"No, it isn't. I just wonder why you suddenly have taken an interest in Albus, since you've hardly paid attention to him the past five years," Rose responded. Albus covered his face with his hands. He loved Rose, but she was incredibly defensive of Albus. Sometimes, he wondered what had happened to his masculinity. Chances are, Rose had stolen it from him years ago. That girl had a serious set of bollocks on her. Then again, Rose's mother was Aunt Hermione; no one messed with Aunt Hermione. Besides, she spent her days arguing for living; having big balls was clearly in Rose's genes.

"It's fine Rose. I'll walk with Malfoy."

"After you," Scorpius gestured to Albus, who started walking.

"So…why do you even hang out with those girls?" Albus asked after several moments of silent walking.

They walked through the doorway of the Great Hall and Scorpius let out a long breath. "You know them. You know that behind closed doors, they aren't really like that."

"To me, they are," Albus sighed. "The latest is this wedding business. Dominique threatened to slit her wrists if I showed up with my hair like it is. It isn't even her bloody wedding!"

Scorpius stopped them in the hallway with the suits of armor and moved over to the right, leaning against the wall. "Why don't you just cut your hair or change your clothes? Wouldn't that get them off your back?"

"Would it?" Albus asked. "Plus, I feel like that would just give them the satisfaction that they were right all along."

The blond chuckled and stared straight into Albus' eyes. Albus gave a small gasp and absentmindedly tugged at the ends of his hair. "So you are telling me that you go around looking like THAT just to spite your two vapid cousins?"

"Well, when you put it like that, I sound incredibly immature," Albus said slowly. He blew out the breath he had been holding. "Would you - um -"

Scorpius politely waited for Albus to say something, pulling a stray hair off of his collar. "Would you help me? I know your mum is a designer and you always look like you walked straight off the runway." He clapped his hand to his mouth. "Oh, sorry, I hope I didn't offend-"

Scorpius held up a hand to stop the ranting. "It's fine. I suppose I would be amenable to helping you with your…situation," he glanced at Albus' hair and the too-short trousers. "I have several conditions though."

"Like what?"

"One. You follow my every direction, my every order. Two. You help me with my Charms homework. I'm having trouble with controlling the Weather Charm. Three. You will be _my_ date to the wedding."

"What?"

"Weather Charms, I'm pants at them. I can't even make a bolt of lightning."

"No, your third term. You want me to be your date to the wedding?" Albus asked tightly. A look of shock had registered on his face. His heart had begun pounding, and he wasn't sure why. Albus hadn't thought much about his sexuality, but right now, it definitely was leaning toward men.

"Let me put it this way, Potter. By the time I'm through with you, you will be able to have anyone you want. I want to make sure I get in there first," Scorpius leaned in and gently kissed Albus on the cheek. "Think about it and let me know your decision. I won't help you unless you agree to all three conditions and I won't change them."

Albus watched Scorpius with a gaping mouth. What in the bleeding hell was THAT all about?

******

Scorpius cackled wickedly as he walked away from Albus, who surely was still staring after him. This was going to be far too easy to get that Gucci clutch. He would use love, appealing to Potter's closet-Gryffindor traits to transform the bloke. Then, once he was a normal-looking wizard, Scorpius would simply leave him, but the fashion sense would remain ingrained in his head. It was thus a win-win for everyone. Everyone would escape this plot relatively unscathed.

Scorpius did, however, hope that there really was an attractive bloke underneath the hair and acne. While he was able to get away with nearly anything at school, dating the ugly Potter would be rather unbecoming to his popularity.

He noticed Dominique and Roxanne standing in front of their classroom. "Hurry up!" Dominique called as he sauntered up to them. "So, did he BEG for you to help him?"

Scorpius opened his arms with a confident shrug. "But of course. I even have a date for your sister's wedding."

Roxanne blinked. "Wait. You're going with AL to Victoire's wedding?"

"Trust me, by the time I'm through with him, you'll be jealous that I'm taking him."

"But Al isn't gay."

"Is that what you think?" Scorpius shook his head. "Of course, he's bloody gay. He is completely unfazed by women, yet he licks his lips whenever anything with a penis walks into a room. I'm sure he doesn't know it, as when I kissed him not even five minutes ago, he stared at me like I had just told him I fucked Santa Claus."

"But you _did_ fuck Santa Claus," Dominique reminded him.

"I fucked a Santa Claus, not the real one," Scorpius replied casually as they walked inside the Transfiguration classroom together. "And mind you, he was a fit bloke, not an old fat man. I have better taste than that."

"If you're snogging Albus Potter in hallways, I do have to question your taste," Roxanne replied as they sat down in their usual seats (in the front and to the left).

"Going back to my main point," Scorpius regained control of the conversation. "If Potter isn't out of the closet by next month, I'll eat a pair of socks."

Scorpius turned as he saw Rose, Albus, and Geoff walk inside the room as well, taking their spots in the back. Scorpius had been close friends with Geoff before they went to Hogwarts, but once they started school, they grew apart.

Geoff was a good ally to have, as he was extremely well-liked by everyone (with the exception of the girls he used, but even then, they kept coming back to him). He was also competition for top spot in their year. Honestly, it was a shame Geoff was straight, as Scorpius thought the two of them would have made a dynamic pair.

They glanced back up at the front, where their professor was rummaging through her things. Professor Chang was good at what she did, but she was very forgetful and rarely had the respect of her pupils. Scorpius didn't mind her, as her class was easy and he learned everything he needed to know. In fact, he, Dominique, and Roxanne rarely listened to her and instead focused on passing notes during class.

The first note came from Dominique. It read simply, _He agreed to let you dress him for the wedding?_

Scorpius pretended he was taking diligent notes at what Professor Chang was discussing and instead wrote, _Almost. He needs some time to consider my invitation to the wedding._

Dominique read it quickly and furiously scribbled, _Get ON it! The wedding is in less than a month. Why do you even want to be his date to the wedding anyways?_

Scorpius shook his head at her. _You have no confidence in me. You do realize that love is one of the most powerful tools in the world, right? It's far easier to make things happen when someone loves you._

_You're going to make Al love you?_

_I'll make him want me enough to want to do anything I say._

_And what will your dad say when he finds out you're going with the son of the Great Harry Potter?_

_We'll get to that problem when it occurs. I'm sure I'll come up with something smashing. Plus, you know how I love getting a rise out of him._

_That I do. Speaking of which, did I tell you Lily has nude photos of herself in her dorm? She told me she was going to send them to Aaron Thomas._

_AARON THOMAS? That's who she is after now?_

The conversation moved into even more gossip, who was sleeping with who, who broke up, who was having revenge sex. Scorpius wondered if the house elves were putting some sort of lust draught in their pumpkin juice, as it seemed as though everyone was having sex these days.

Scorpius eventually tuned out from the notes, as well as Professor Chang's rant about being careful while transfiguring moving objects. Truth be told, he really hadn't paid much attention to Albus Severus Potter. The kid had a sad name, and was the middle child in between two very big personalities. Scorpius knew that Albus liked to write. Some of his work had been published in magazines. While he had never read any of his writing, Scorpius made note to take a look at some of it for a conversation point. Scorpius glanced over at Albus, who was staring right back at him. He gave Potter what he hoped was a seductive grin, and he immediately looked away. Scorpius smiled to himself.

He wasn't used to socializing with someone like Potter, so naive and innocent. He reckoned he was probably Albus' first kiss, even though it was just on the cheek. He knew he had to be careful with someone like him. Sure, he wanted that Gucci clutch, but he couldn't be as cruel as Dominique and Roxanne were to anyone. Scorpius prided himself on his sense of morality. Having Potter fall in love with him only to be dumped like yesterday's trash was most definitely not something he wanted. Not to mention, if his father, the Head Auror found out about his careless behavior, there would be hell to pay for the Malfoy family. No, this had to be executed perfectly. Just the job for a Slytherin of his caliber.

******

Albus stood up quickly after Transfiguration class, waved to his friends, and practically ran out of the room. His conversation skills, while not particularly strong, were mere babbles at this point. He had no idea how to talk to Scorpius.

He wasn't gay. Well, that's wasn't true. He honestly had never thought about it before. It would explain why Angelea's lap dance did nothing for him and why he noticed every hair on Scorpius' body, why he appreciated Geoff's arse more than Rose's.

Okay, so maybe he was gay. The only other gay student he knew was Scorpius and the bloke was coming onto him! It wasn't as though he could talk about his sexuality with him, could he? No, Malfoy would be biased.

Albus noticed that he was next to a bathroom, so he walked in and put both hands on the sink. He turned it on and splashed some cold water on his face. He stared at himself in the mirror again. His hair really was a mess, and he had somehow managed to get a brown smudge on the side of his cheek. While his shirt no longer had a gaping hole in the back, it was huge, looking like a pillowcase instead of a button-up shirt. He wished it were easier, that he could just wake up and look good, whatever that meant. James never seemed to be terribly fussy with his clothes and hair, yet he looked loads better than Albus.

Scorpius Malfoy seemed legitimately interested in helping him, as well as getting a little something for himself in return. Could it really be that someone THAT attractive wanted him? Scorpius came to classes looking like he was getting ready for a gala or a dinner party. His school robes were modified by his mother to make him look more attractive; pulled in at the seams to make them more form-fitting, a higher-quality fabric to accentuate the Slytherin green hanging on the edge of his robe. Albus thought about what it might be like, to rub his open palm up and down his chest, to feel that fabric pressed against his warm skin…

Albus opened his eyes and splashed some more cold water on his face. Did Scorpius want something from him? While Slytherins weren't necessarily considered to be evil anymore, they had very specific personality characteristics. One of them was that they didn't do anything unless there was something in it for them. Could it be that all Scorpius wanted…was Albus? Or was there something more, something he was keeping hidden from him?

He leaned back, holding onto the sink still, and thought about the kiss Scorpius had given him. His lips were soft, and the kiss was not at all wet. When he felt Scorpius' lips on his cheek, a shot of warmth went through him and straight to his groin. Scorpius had a sweet smell, like rain and daffodils, both of which Albus loved. Honestly, he had never had much interest in being with anyone before, so he wasn't sure if this sort of reaction was normal or not.

This was definitely the first time he had ever felt anything remotely lustful toward anyone though.

If Albus was being honest with himself, he knew that he was attracted to Scorpius before this. Whatever the blond said, Albus' ears would perk up. During class, Albus always paid attention to Scorpius and how well he was mastering the concept. He guessed that maybe he had always had feelings for Scorpius, but just assumed that it was more of a scholarly interest.

And it wasn't as though being Malfoy's date for the wedding would be a commitment or anything. It was just a date. A date could be casual at his age. If maybe he ended up liking Malfoy more than just a casual date, that would be a bonus, wouldn't it?

He dried his face off with a towel and opened the door to head back out to the hallway. Before he walked through, he saw Roxanne and Lily walking together. He heard his name and froze.

"-such an embarrassment! Can you imagine what the photos will look like? All of us, incredibly good-looking, and then that? In our photos. Whenever we remember the wedding, all we will remember is the headlines, stating, _'Potter boy smart, but that's it,' 'Harry Potter: The Father of the Missing Link?'_ It will be dreadful," Roxanne moaned.

Lily crossed her arms and looked at her cousin with uncomfortable eyes. "Yes, we all know that Al is a little…different. He has absolutely no idea how to dress, and that hair…"

"How often does he shower? Once a week?" Roxanne ranted. "Sometimes, it's difficult to be near him because he smells so bad."

Lily fought a grin off her face. "Try living with him, Roxy."

"Honestly, I can't believe how selfish he is being!"

Lily's grin dropped. "What do you mean? I don't think -"

"Lily, it isn't like he's trying to make a fashion statement. He just doesn't care. He doesn't care about the family, Lily. Can you imagine what will happen when photos of him at the wedding will come out? What they'll say about your dad and mum?"

"You think that the _Daily Prophet_ will look down on my parents because they let their son dress and look a certain way?"

"This is the _Daily Prophet_ we're talking about, after all."

Lily sighed. "I hope they don't. Just because Al is - well, he's different, my parents shouldn't have to suffer for it. Merlin knows they've been through so much negative press in their lifetime."

"Exactly. And Albus is SELFISHLY going to lead them into getting more bad press," Roxanne said firmly.

"I do wish he would at least cut his hair and shower every once and a while. Fashion can come with time, but he looks insane," Lily admitted.

The two of them started to walk away. Albus' eyes filled with tears. His own sister agreed with Dominique and Roxanne? Sure, she had told him to get a shower, but if she thought he was bringing shame to their family based on how he looked…something had to be done.

His parents were always so supportive of him, James, and Lily. Even though his mum would get on his case about his choice of clothes or his hair, she still loved him and made it clear. His dad went one step further and made sure that Albus knew it was okay to look however he wanted, even if he wanted a tattoo of a Hungarian Horntail on his chest.

The idea that his family might be at all ashamed of him was almost too much to handle.

Albus broke into a run. He knew where to find Scorpius. He was always in his usual spot, laying on one of the marble benches in the courtyard. He rested his head against his book bag and had opened a magazine. He noticed Albus coming toward him immediately and sat up with the elegance of a swan.

"Fine. I'll do it. I agree to all of your terms. Just give me some time on the third one, alright? I've never dated before," Albus said, his voice dropping low.

Scorpius gave a huge smile. "You are so fascinating," he said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Right then, tonight will be your first step into becoming an attractive wizard."

Albus closed his eyes. If he wasn't doing it for himself, he was definitely doing it for his family. He agreed, they had dealt with enough press for a lifetime.

It was time for him to conform and look like what everyone said he should look like.

What a bloody nightmare.

******

Scorpius waited patiently in his room for Albus to arrive. Potter knew where to go, as he had been down to the Slytherin dungeon for parties, but he imagined he was nervous, turning back and forth, unsure of if he really wanted to go through with this. Scorpius had hinted that he was going to clean and cut Albus' hair, so he figured he was going to be very anxious.

He had given Albus directions to his room. The Slytherin rooms were spread out, not at all like the towers in the other dorms. Hopefully, he wouldn't get lost.

Several minutes later, he heard a knock at the door. "Malfoy?" Albus' voice asked.

"Come in, Potter," Scorpius replied, sitting up from his bed.

Albus looked around curiously. He had clearly never been inside a Slytherin dorm. The rooms were spacious, draped with green and silver curtains. There were three fourposters in the room with the Slytherin crest on one of the curtains. There was also a large silver mirror, which Scorpius had moved into the center of the room.

"Well, if you're done admiring my room, I would love it if you sat in this seat," Scorpius motioned at the chair in front of him. Albus took several steps forward and then stopped.

"What are you going to do to me tonight?" Albus asked.

"Wow, Potter, very straightforward. I promise, I'll be a perfect gentleman," Scorpius winked.

Albus blushed a deep red. "I-I meant -"

"I know what you meant," Scorpius dismissed. "You will look stunning by the time I'm done with you tonight," he added kindly. "Now sit down so I can get started."

Albus sat in the chair, fidgeting with his fingers. "Your dorm is nice," he finally said. "You would think that with all of this damp stone, it wouldn't be very cozy. But it is. Nice, I mean."

"I'm glad you find my dorm cozy. Maybe you can spend more time here," Scorpius said flirtatiously as he circled Albus, trying to decide what he needed to do first. "I think the first thing we need to take care of is your hair. It really is awful."

"I like it long."

"No you don't, you just are too lazy to cut it. Not to mention, you don't have the bone structure for long hair. We'll give you the Harry Potter."

"Does my dad really have a haircut named after him?" Albus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He does. Only Potters can pull it off though," Scorpius replied. "No other person's hair can be that unruly and still look fantastic."

"Are you sure I can?"

"Only one way to find out, is there?" Scorpius asked with a wave of his wand. As he moved his wand, a large chunk of Albus' hair fell to the ground. He squealed. "Calm down, Potter. You should know by now that cutting hair causes no pain."

"I know, it's just - I'm nervous."

"I gathered that much. Go on, tell me about yourself. Tell me about what you're writing right now."

Albus closed his eyes as Scorpius continued trimming his hair. "It's an exploration of fear. Two witches walk into a forest filled with creatures, each representing a different form of their fear. Ex-boyfriends, loneliness, sense deprivation, stuff like that. One of the witches is brave and can face her fears head on. The other gives into the fear and wastes away. I hope to also have interactions between the two of them after they have gone through the forest, showing the stark differences between them."

Scorpius was impressed. He had actually read one of Albus' short stories that afternoon, which was a satire on government using a society of Crups as a setting. "How long have you been writing?" he asked.

Albus thought for several moments. "As long as I can remember. My parents have bins full of my writing all through my childhood. I took writing classes before I learned how to cast Lumos. That's just what I do. That's my Ravenclaw quirk."

"And your appearance isn't?" Scorpius muttered, snipping off more hair. At this point, he needed to do some close-range work, so he picked up Albus' hair between his fingers. He had obviously showered before coming over, as his hair wasn't nearly as stringy as it was earlier that day. Albus had tried to clean up for him. Scorpius felt a warm feeling in his stomach and a small smile form on his face. It was cute, really, and exactly what he had planned would happen.

"Do you really think I'm attractive?" Albus blurted out.

Scorpius dropped the hair in between his fingers and moved to face Albus. "I believe that underneath all of this hair, all of that acne, the dirt, the baggy or too-tight clothes is an incredibly attractive bloke. There is no way that you can have such a beautiful family and you be the only sea urchin in the bunch."

Albus looked deep into Scorpius' eyes. Scorpius struggled to maintain his cool. Bloody Potter, he was the one who was supposed to feel uncomfortable, not him. "Thanks," he replied finally.

"You know I'd only tell you the truth. There's nothing else in it for me."

"Except a snog," Albus joked.

"Careful Potter, or I'll give you exactly what you wish for."

Albus was silenced. Scorpius continued his work, trimming here and there until the sides were even. After 10 more minutes of intense hair cutting, Scorpius squirted a bit of product into his hand and began working it into Albus' hair.

Finally, he stepped back to look at his finished product. "There."

Albus looked into the mirror. "I look like my dad."

"Almost as much as I look like mine, right?"

Albus nodded wordlessly. He touched the ends of his hair on the left side, which were sticking slightly up. "You can see my face," he finally said.

"Well, yeah."

"You can see all of my pimples," he moaned.

"That is easily fixed," Scorpius said. "Lather your face up with this tonic every night. Put this on every morning. It is FAR better than anything Madam Pomfrey can give you. It will not only get rid of your acne, but it will prevent it and help heal the scars on your face as well. For now, let me hex the pimples off of you so you can see how you are going to look."

Before Albus could protest, Scorpius pointed his wand at Albus' face and muttered, " _Papula Lateo_!"

The zits instantly vanished. Unfortunately, so did several layers of Albus' skin and his face turned bright red. "Yes, well, that can happen too," Scorpius commented.

"What can happen?" Albus said quickly. Scorpius tried to get in the way of the mirror, but Albus was too quick. He stared at himself in horror. "I look like a baby troll," he moaned.

"I was going to say an overgrown cornish pixie, but baby troll works too," Scorpius said with a straight face. "Um, let's fix this."

"You will be fixing _nothing_ ," Albus said firmly, covering his face, pulling his legs up, and rocking back and forth. "At least with the acne, I looked like a teenager!"

This was bad. Scorpius had made Albus look worse instead of better. Albus was starting to look catatonic and possibly crying. This would not do.

"Here, let me see it," Scorpius said gently, dropping to his knees and Summoning a warm wet washcloth.

Albus kept his knees to his chest, but dropped his hands from his face. In any other case, this would have been funny, but this time, it wasn't. Scorpius gently pressed the warm washcloth to Albus' scrunched up face, careful not to irritate the already blistered skin.

"That's never happened to me before," Scorpius said, dabbing Albus' face some more.

"Well, it had to have happened with me, right? Nothing is ever easier for me," Albus moaned.

"I could teach you a Glamour to hide the redness, if you wanted. If you still trust me," Scorpius said softly. He knew with all of the Slytherin in him that Albus wanted to hear something along those lines.

"Of course, I trust you," Albus said, then blinked. "I trust you," he repeated. Apparently, he had surprised himself.

"Let me help, then," Scorpius said taking his other hand to stroke Albus' cheek. It wasn't typical of him to feel this bad for doing something to someone else. However, he always did everything with a purpose, and his original purpose had been to make Albus acne-free, not give him a blistering, red, goblin face. He whispered an incantation he had learned from his mother several years ago to hide large scars. He hoped this would work. Sure enough, Albus' face changed to a more normal color.

"Unfortunately, the blistering is still going to hurt, even though your face looks normal now." Scorpius stood up and rummaged through his drawers filled with various beauty potions and salves. He pulled out a small blue tube. "Rub this on your face once every hour when you're awake, and it should be back to normal before classes tomorrow."

"Really? It works that fast? They won't even see me like this?" Albus asked.

Scorpius shook his head, smiling. "No. You will look like a younger version of your father, except more dashing, if I might add."

Albus nervously bit his lip. Scorpius had the sudden impulse to bite the other boy's lip as well, but restrained himself. "Will you - put it on for me?" he asked. "I don't want to do it wrong and it's obvious you know how to do it."

If Potter wasn't so naive, Scorpius would have been convinced that Albus was having him on, manipulating him to get closer. The boy was completely oblivious to anything that came with relationships, so Scorpius let his guard down slightly. "Sure." He unscrewed the cap the tube and squeezed a bit out onto his hand. He raised his hand and began rubbing in the salve on Albus' face. He closed his eyes in relaxation, clearly enjoying the cooling sensation brought on by the salve. Scorpius smiled again and looked at Albus' face.

Up to this point, Scorpius had been hoping that Potter was good looking, but with that confirmed, the transformation was even more impressive than he could have imagined. The haircut had been a huge improvement in itself, but with the acne gone, Potter's face was gorgeous. His lack of hair exposed his ears, which stuck out just a little bit, just so it was cute instead of creepy. It also exposed his taut jawline, which was severe and slightly square-shaped. The lack of acne and redness on his face revealed an even, pale tone. He had exactly nine tiny freckles across the bridge of his nose. Scorpius despised freckles, but on Albus, somehow they were almost cute. Scorpius admired his handiwork. The boy was, in fact, attractive.

"There. How does that feel?" Scorpius asked.

"Much better," Albus responded.

Scorpius breathed in the scent from the cream. It smelled like china roses, his favorite. He leaned in closer. "I love the smell of china roses," he breathed, inches away from Potter.

"Do you?' Albus asked, who was clearly having trouble breathing with Scorpius so close to his face.

"I do. And you look just so good, I don't think I can resist - I know I told you I would give you space - but -"

"You can't resist what?" Albus asked huskily, his hands raising up to touch Scorpius' shoulders.

"You," Scorpius finished and leaned in, pressing his lips against Albus'.

******

Albus barely had time to register that he was kissing Scorpius Malfoy. He had never been kissed before, with the exception of family, and definitely not like this. Scorpius' lips were as soft as he remembered them from earlier that morning, yet when his own lips were involved, they were electrifying. Not sure of how one was supposed to kiss like THIS, he followed Scorpius' movement, open and close, a smack or two here and there.

Overall, Albus thought as they formed somewhat of a pattern, it would seem as though the kiss would be the best part. But it wasn't! It was the feel of Scorpius' arms pulling him closer, the hot minty breath that wafted between them with every fresh kiss. He loved the feel of their noses bumping, Scorpius' collarbone underneath the tips of his thumbs. How had Albus missed out on something so fantastic? Was it just by cutting his hair and cleaning up his face that allowed him to experience this?

Finally, Scorpius pulled away with one last gentle kiss on the lips.

"Er-" Albus stuttered.

Scorpius' eyes were bright, as if this was the only thing he was interested in. Albus had never seen that spark before, always so carefully guarded. Albus felt as though he had caught a glimpse of the true Scorpius, hidden away for so long. However, just as quickly as that look came, it changed. He shook his head a bit, like a he was shaking off Wrackspurts buzzing around his ears. He blinked, and his eyes grew mischievous again. He rewarded Albus with one of his famous Malfoy grins. "Indeed," he purred.

Albus slumped his shoulders a bit. It was obvious that Scorpius' feelings weren't as complex as his - or maybe he had better skills in coping with them. Either way, it was disappointing to know that the kiss wasn't as important to him. "I should -"

"You should," Scorpius responded, running his fingers through his perfectly groomed hair. Albus had the urge to muss it up but restrained himself.

"Thanks," Albus choked out and stood up. Scorpius stood and backed up to leave Albus room to get out. He too, stood, but knocked over the chair. When he tried to pick it up, his hands were shaking so hard, he kept dropping the chair in his grip. “Sorry,” he breathed, his face flushing.

Scorpius leaned forward and set the chair right with ease. Albus took in a deep breath, completely embarrassed by his inability to walk without causing a disaster. Scorpius silently sat down on his bed, crossing his legs and folding his hands into his lap, looking up at him with a slight smile.

Albus walked stiffly to the door. He wanted so badly to look back at Scorpius but couldn't bring himself to do so. Climbing the stairs back to the Slytherin Common Room quickly, he began hyperventilating. What had that been all about?

He leaned against the cool stone wall by the entrance to the Common Room, noting that it was slightly damp, clearly underneath the lake. He definitely preferred Ravenclaw Tower, being able to overlook the lake and the Quidditch pitch.

After he caught his breath, he pushed himself off against the wall and opened the door.

The Slytherins grew silent as Albus walked through the Common Room. It was strange that they were all staring at him. It wasn't uncommon for members of other Houses to visit each other, especially in the older grades. He saw Areya Parkinson's mouth gaping open as he passed her. He shrugged and crossed his arms as he walked through the sliding wall.

It was late, so he did not meet anyone else on his way back up to the tower. He gave the answer to the riddle to the eagle knocker (spider) and climbed his way to his dormitory.

He opened that door and was immediately greeted by gasps and the crashing of a glass vial.

"Bloody hell!" gasped Geoff.

"Am I that shocking when I walk into a room?" Albus asked.

"You are when you look - like that!" he cried.

Albus remembered what happened to his face. "Oh, I'm red, aren't I? Scorpius took off half my skin this evening."

"No, your hair! And your face! You look -"

Albus then realized that he had just had a massive makeover and discovered the root of the stares in the Slytherin Common Room. "I look like my dad, don't I?" he asked, touching his short hair.

Geoff shrugged. "Well yeah. More than that though is that I can see…YOU. Wow."

His other dorm mates, Ethan Davies and Ian Goyle nodded in agreement. "You could have your pick of any bird in school," Ethan said slowly.

Albus rolled his eyes. "That's doubtful."

Ian chuckled. "Just you wait, Al. The girls will be drooling over you tomorrow morning."

"Who did this to you anyway?" Geoff asked after he fixed the broken vial and began combing his hair.

"Malfoy offered to help me look acceptable for Victoire and Teddy's wedding," Albus responded. "I didn't want to do it at first, but then I-" he stopped, not willing to reveal the conversation he overheard between Roxanne and Lily. "I realized I needed to change."

"Scorpius Malfoy, eh?" Ian commented. "The most popular boy at Hogwarts just offered to help you with your style?"

"A _Slytherin_ offered to help you out of the goodness of his heart is what he MEANS to say," Ethan inserted before Albus had a chance to respond.

"Well, we made a deal," Albus answered.

"And what did you agree to?" Ian asked curiously.

"I - er - I'm helping him with his Charms work," Albus stuttered.

"Scorpius Malfoy, admit to lacking skill in something?" Geoff asked skeptically. "That's...new."

"I never really paid much attention to him," Albus said casually. He knew his ears were turning red, but still struggled to keep a passive facial expression. He wasn't ready to tell his friends about the OTHER agreement.

"Well, he's an interesting bloke," Geoff commented.

"He seems nice enough. Even though his best friends are my least favorite cousins, he wasn't awful to me when he cut my hair. Then, when he accidentally removed a bunch of my facial skin, he gave me a healing salve and then some concealing cream. You can't even tell, can you?" Albus realized he was babbling and quickly stopped talking.

The three boys inspected Albus quickly. "You're wearing makeup?" Ethan asked, not even bothering to hide his chuckle.

Albus narrowed his eyes and didn't respond. "Whatever," he finally said, and changed into his blue striped night shirt.

"Hey Al, it's okay," Geoff muttered to Albus as they climbed into bed. "I wear manliner when I want to impress a girl."

"Thanks mate," Albus replied, shaking his head.

******

Albus woke early the next morning. He was nervous about seeing everyone - well, everyone seeing him. At least it was a Saturday, so he could avoid _most_ people. He rummaged through his trunk, desperately trying to find SOMETHING that matched and fit. Honestly, Albus had never thought about clothing before, and the realization that everyone was right, that he had no concept of what fit and what matched was rather disheartening. Why did he have to be such a dunderhead?

He found a pair of dark blue jeans that were just a little too tight and a Wimbourne Wasps t-shirt that also fit a bit snug. Even though it had a few stains on it, it was still a perfectly functional shirt, he reasoned. Albus figured that tight clothes were better than clothes that made him look like a human parachute.

He looked into the mirror and gasped. As Scorpius had reassured him, his face was normal and pimple-free. He admired his new haircut, feeling the short hair between his fingers. Sure, it was weird, but this was one of those times where weird was better. In fact, to the average person, Albus looked normal, better than normal even.

What interested him the most were his bright green eyes. He had never really noticed them before, but they were the feature he was drawn most to, especially since they were so big and wide, framed with long, thick eyelashes that curled at the tips.

Today, he was proud of his appearance, something he had never been able to say before.

Albus thought about waiting for his friends to wake up, but decided against it. He would walk by himself this morning. He escaped from the dormitory early, but still passed students in the hallway on the way to breakfast. Most of them stared. Albus couldn't help but laugh. Was this how it felt to be his dad, with everyone gaping at his forehead?

When he finally made it to the Great Hall, he sat down next to some seventh years studying Arithmancy. Arithmancy was his favorite course and he was known to be one of the best in the school at the subject. Professor Vector, while getting older -and still just as strict- was an excellent professor and his Head of House. She worked with Albus one on one quite frequently and taught him advanced Arithmancy that included mathematical theories from the Muggle world, such as Calculus and Linear Algebra. Arithmancy was something he understood.

The seventh years stopped what they were doing and gaped at him. Finally, one of them spoke up. "Hey Potter," Aria Bradley said. "Nice haircut."

"Thanks," he said. "What are you working on?"

"Proving bloody Argust's Theory," she replied, her eyes still trained on Albus.

Albus chuckled. He and Professor Vector had been working on disproving it by using more modern theories, but was sworn to secrecy. "Good luck," he commented as he bit into a jam donut.

"What. The. Bloody. Hell," he heard Roxanne say behind him.

Albus stood up and turned around. "Morning Roxy."

She stared at him. "You have a stain on your shirt," she managed to work out.

"I do."

Dominique bounced over to them and placed her hands on Roxanne's shoulder. She turned to her and asked, "Who are you talking to -" she stopped when she realized who he was. "Well, look who got a makeover."

Albus shrugged casually. "Any comments you'd like to make?"

Dominique shook her head. "SCORPIUS!" she yelled. The three of them watched as Scorpius slowly stood up and sauntered over to them. Roxanne, Dominique, and Albus waited in silence until he approached them. Then, the two girls began talking at once.

"You did THIS?"

"What exactly -"

"How did you-"

"Polyjuice-"

"-I can't believe-"

"His face-"

"-You're a god!" finished Dominique.

"Now, now, my dear ladies," Scorpius began. "Mr. Potter still has a long way to go. His wardrobe, while…rather sensual today," his eyes stared at Albus' crotch, causing Albus to squirm and redden at the cheeks, "requires a bit more work before I feel comfortable calling him transformed. Mr. Potter," Scorpius drawled. "You will meet me tomorrow for a visit to Hogsmeade. We will purchase you an entirely new wardrobe. In the meantime, take a look at these magazines. They represent the latest fashions. If I am to give you a full makeover, I need to be confident you won't regress to your old ways of dressing once we part ways."

As Scorpius handed Albus a giant stack of magazines, their fingers touched slightly. Albus took in a deep breath and looked at Scorpius, who gave a small smile, then looked away quickly.

"Come on, Scorpius. I'm not hungry anymore," Dominique said, tugging at Scorpius' sleeve. "Let's go play a game of chess and make fun of the Hufflepuffs."

"Sounds like a good time to me," Scorpius replied, winking at Albus as he walked away with Albus' cousins.

"Wow," Aria commented. "You sure do have an interesting family."

Albus sighed and dropped the magazines on the bench next to him with a loud thunk. "I sure do. Now, tell me about Argust's Theory."

******

Scorpius threw his wand on the table. "I don't understand why we even need to learn how to do this."

Dominique sniggered. "You're just mad because you can't do it."

He gave his best friend a playful shove. "Shut it, you. Honestly though, I can't figure this out. Why won't it work?"

Dominique swished her wand, waving it over her head. It began snowing in the Slytherin Common Room.

"Oi!" a third year called from an armchair. "Will you quit that?"

"Excuse me?" Dominique asked icily, narrowing her eyes at the younger boy, who shrank.

The boy looked less confident as he tried to come up with words. "Um - er - if you could - it's cold," he finished lamely.

"You're lucky I haven't perfected my aim with lightning yet," Dominique sneered in her nastiest voice, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry, I'll just leave," he responded.

"You'd better," she called to his retreating back.

"We don't learn how to spell lightning," Scorpius murmured.

"Yeah, but he doesn't know that," she replied, smirking at Scorpius. "Now, wasn't my cousin supposed to tutor you in Weather Charms?" she asked.

Scorpius shrugged. "Maybe."

"Well, the bloke is a genius at them. I hate saying this, but he's far better at them than I am."

"It's just -" Scorpius shuffled his feet at the ground. "I don't know, I figure since I'll see him today, I don't want to seem too desperate, you know?"

Dominique raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that what you're supposed to be doing? Not only are you getting the boy to fall head over heels for you, but you are making sure you're marking your territory. You can't have him getting his eye on other prospects."

Scorpius shook his head confidently. "Remember I'm the one wooing him. Don't you worry about that. Didn't you see him yesterday during meals? Despite the fact that everyone was looking at him, he only had eyes for me."

They sat in silence for a bit. "I can't believe Albus was really THAT good looking underneath all of that dirty hair and those horrid pimples," Dominique finally said. "I've got to hand it to you, he will look quite smashing in his tuxedo."

"Oh, I still have a ways to go. He needs to actually learn about fashion now."

"THAT will be the day," Dominique said, snorting skeptically. "In any case, I am off to go spy on Olivia and Tracy. I heard they were going to snog behind Greenhouse 3 for a Galleon each. Care to join me?"

"I think I'll skip out this time. I have a date to get ready for," Scorpius replied, fluttering his eyelashes.

After Dominique left, Scorpius waved his wand sluggishly in one last attempt at a Weather Charm. While he did send a wave of ice at the fireplace, nothing else happened. He sighed and slumped into a chair, closing his eyes and thinking about the one thing he couldn't keep his mind off since he made this stupid bet, Albus Potter. At first he thought this was only about winning the Gucci clutch and gaining one up on Dominique, but now he wasn't so sure. Albus was such an enigma to him, so different and vibrant than any other boy he had ever met, than any other boy their age. Ever since he had the boy on his bed and that damn kiss, he couldn't close his eyes without seeing big green eyes and those pouty, pink lips that were always a tad chapped, as Albus seemed to bite down on them when he was nervous or deep in thought. And it wasn't just Albus' eccentric personality that captivated him—Albus was bloody fit.

Not only was he handsome, but he was SO CUTE! He was completely clueless as to what he should do with all of the attention he was receiving. He stuttered on every word, was terribly clumsy, and made every conversation with strangers incredibly awkward. The one Scorpius had overheard included Albus asking them why his ears were sticking out.

Perhaps Scorpius had formed a bit of a crush on the Ravenclaw boy.

So what if he had? The boy he was dating was going to be all of the things he already was, plus the bits Scorpius was adding on, thus making him a very eligible bachelor.

He would have to play his cards just right, but Scorpius was sure that he would be able to pull this off without a hitch.

******


	2. Chapter 2

[See part 1](http://ashiiblack.livejournal.com/5038.html)

  


Scorpius watched Albus as he walked toward him, clearly unaware of the blonde. He had told Albus to meet him at the Quidditch pitch so they could walk to Hogsmeade together. He chuckled as Albus tugged on his hair and looked down at his outfit. It was the same one as the day before, but it was still good to note that Albus had attempted to make an effort at looking more fashion forward. Perhaps it was to impress Scorpius.

Albus continued with his hair fixing. He was obviously still not used to the new short hair. He saw several Gryffindor 5th years wave to him, tittering as they walked by. Scorpius ignored the slight pang of jealousy when Albus smiled and waved back, deciding to bring the attention over to himself. "Potter!" he called.

Albus dropped his hand, but his smile grew brighter. "Hi Malfoy."

Scorpius finally made it up to Albus and threaded his fingers through Albus'. "Ready to get you a new wardrobe?" he asked.

"I doubt I'll ever be readier," Albus replied, and they began to walk.

Conversation was sparse as they headed toward Hogsmeade. Scorpius figured Albus was probably too nervous to say much and Scorpius was having trouble coming up with things to say. He berated himself several times, as a Slytherin should always have quick wit and a sharp tongue. Right now, he was just as useful as a tongue-tied Hufflepuff.

They passed Honeydukes and Weasley Wizard Wheezes and turned to the right, approaching a maroon building made completely of glass. It was called S’il Vous Plaît.

Albus turned and stared at Scorpius. "You've got to be kidding me."

Scorpius laughed. "It isn't the price that scares you. I know you're loaded and if you DID have any monetary concerns, I'd spot you."

He shook his head. "No, it isn't that. I know I have the money, but I-"

"What?" Scorpius asked.

Albus looked down and shuffled his feet a bit. "Wearing designer clothes seems like flaunting your wealth," he mumbled.

Had anyone besides Albus made that comment, Scorpius would have had a nasty retort. Instead, he found this brutal honesty endearing. But how to respond? "Oh Potter, I wouldn't expect you to understand. Taking your opinion into consideration, I will ensure that you aren't wearing anything too outrageously expensive. Pity though, as those Mossimo leather trousers would have made your arse look scrumptious."

Albus shifted, his body language immediately back to his normal self. "Well-"

"You promised. It was one of my conditions. Anything I tell you to do, you do it," Scorpius reminded him.

He let out a sigh. "Fine. Take me in. Dress me."

Scorpius smiled at that comment and held the door open for Albus.

He imagined that for Albus, this was a completely different world. For someone who probably only wore hand-me-down clothes - not because he couldn't afford it, but because he didn't care - it was a new experience to see so many different fashions in front of him. Long clothes racks of wizards' and witches' covered the walls, each moving and rotating in a cycle to showcase each design. Racks of the newest and posh designs were scattered in the middle, with foreign names labeling the clothes. The inside of the building was probably a shock as well. The walls and floor were white with a reflective surfaces. Scorpius always did like the effect the walls had. It looked as though someone had gone over the entire surface area with shiny clear nail polish. Euro pop blared out of the speakers.

The moment they walked in, several saleswitches greeted Scorpius. "Hello Mr. Malfoy. What can we do for you today? Care to take a look at our exclusive new WizardWear from DeRoche? Brand new, not even on the shelves yet," one of them said with a big smile.

Scorpius returned the smile coolly and replied, "Actually Madam Bovarti, I'm looking to dress my friend Albus here. He is in need of a completely new wardrobe. Nothing too expensive or flashy. Use something from the Maggie Ellis collection and Kryatova's new line to base his look around. He is a writer, so something comfortable would be useful as well, perhaps use something from Bastian. Also, he will be accompanying me to a wedding, so we need a formal look, definitely from Armani. Who else?"

The girls nodded and turned to gather their items, like little house elves enslaved to do his bidding. Albus looked at Scorpius in awe.

"Sometimes, flaunting your wealth gains power," Scorpius said lightly.

"No kidding," Albus finally replied.

"Let's make our way over to the dressing rooms. The employees will put the clothes over there and we will get your measurements."

"My measurements?"

"Most of these clothes have the ability to be adjusted magically to fit the wearer," Scorpius explained as they neared the dressing rooms.

Once the witches returned, they took out a floating tape measurer and began measuring all sorts of Albus' body parts. Scorpius picked out several looks from the piles of clothes the witches had brought back and gave them to Albus to try on. He tried on everything from basic tees to a suit that looked more suitable for a gigolo. Albus glared at Scorpius furiously after trying on that particular outfit, which amused Scorpius to no end.

Even though Albus had been reluctant at first, Scorpius could tell that he was impressed with the clothes and even anticipating the next outfit he would try on. Hopefully, he was finally realizing that it was EASY to be fashionable and still himself at the same time. Fashion was another way to express himself. Seeing as Albus was so artistic, maybe he would see the appeal in dressing better. Plus, with the clothes to back him up, Potter looked bloody fit.

"There's just one last thing I want you to try on," Scorpius said, giving a wave to the witches helping them. They nodded and walked away. Scorpius grinned wickedly and held up a pair of skintight dragon hide trousers.

Albus rolled his eyes. "Bloody hell. No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Just try them on. You don't have to buy them."

"I don't want to wear something that will make me look like the lead singer from the Weird Sisters."

"Please?"

"You just want to see my arse."

"Well, obviously."

Albus crossed his arms. "Fine," he responded, snatching the shimmering dragon hide leather out of Scorpius' arms.

Scorpius looked at their selections off to the side while Albus tried on his newest garment. They had decided to purchase a good variety of clothing, which would give Albus freedom to wear what he wanted while still matching.

Mostly, they stuck with dark colors, but Albus had surprised him and went with a particularly dashing look. He chose some baggy khaki trousers with dragon hide boots, a large belt, and a slightly puffy jacket surprisingly made from cotton. The thing that made it so fetching was the fit. Even though the clothes were baggy and puffy, Albus' arse was showcased, as well as his lean torso and bloody sexy long neck.

A loud thud from the dressing room brought Scorpius back to the present. "Alright in there, Potter?" he asked.

"Maybe some help?" Albus asked, his voice muffled.

Scorpius unlocked the door easily and opened it. He fought back a laugh at the sight before him. Albus was upside down, his arse sticking up against the corner of the dressing room, his left leg caught underneath the little bench.  
Scorpius' best guess was that the boy had tried to zip up the trousers and got a little too enthusiastic.

"Trouble with your trousers?"

"Can you get me right side up or not?" Albus asked.

Scorpius pulled Albus' leg out and then tugged his arms so he simply slid down the wall. Just as he was about to leave, Albus gave a quick giggle and pulled Scorpius to the floor with him. Scorpius let out a cry as he fell on top of the leather-clad man and quickly checked to make sure his robes hadn't been ripped.

"Bloody tosser."

"Your manners sure go out the window when you aren't around anyone else, don't they?" Albus asked as he tucked a piece of Scorpius' hair behind his ears.

Scorpius closed his eyes in pleasure at Albus' touch. He had dated many men in his day; right, eligible men, yet none of them had ever even made his heart pound like Albus could. He had spent barely a week getting to know this boy and yet, he felt like a perfect fit, like this pair of leather trousers Albus was wearing now.

So what if he had planned on breaking things off with Albus after the wedding? Why couldn't they keep dating afterward? Was there something against it? The agreement had been to make Albus a fashion-knowledgeable wizard. It had nothing to do with their romance. This was an added bonus - for both of them.

Scorpius swooped in on Albus, crushing their lips together. This kiss wasn't nearly as soft as their last; instead, it was forceful, their arms and legs intertwining, low moans escaping from their throats as they struggled to breathe.

At some point in their snogging session, Albus had sat up. Scorpius used this to his advantage, pushing him back against the wall and straddling him. Scorpius ran his fingers through Albus' hair, which felt so clean, soft like a crup's fur. They both clung on to each other, as though letting go would lead to something very bad, something they definitely couldn't face.

Suddenly, Albus let out a whimper of pain. Scorpius ended the kiss quickly and looked into his green eyes. "What's wrong?" he whispered.

"I - er - it -" he stammered, clearly in agony, but blushing furiously.

It took Scorpius a few moments to realize that Albus' erection was peeking through the trousers, clearly being suffocated by the tight material. He raised an eyebrow mischievously. "Well, I guess we'll just have to make you more comfortable, then," he commented, taking hold of the zipper - the only thing holding the trousers up.

Albus gasped as Scorpius slowly tugged the zipper down. Scorpius relished the sound the zipper made. It was a sound that led to one of his favorite activities. “I see you aren’t wearing any pants,” Scorpius commented, staring at the brilliantly hard cock in front of him.

“I- “ Albus choked out staring at Scorpius with a strange expression.

“No matter to me, it makes things far easier, right?” Scorpius asked, leaning down and taking Albus’ prick in his mouth.

As much as Scorpius loved to be on the receiving end of anything sexual, giving head was his favorite thing to do. Knowing that someone was going so wild because of something he did turned him on quicker than a good rim job. He loved the feel of the head of a man’s cock on his tongue, the veins beating against his lips as he tightened them around the shaft.

What he loved most was taking a cock deeply. When he did this to Albus, he let out a soft, sweet little, “Gah.” He looked deep into Albus’ eyes as he bobbed up and down, going as deeply as he could each time. Albus was clearly trying not to make a sound – not that it mattered, with the music blaring. His face was one of pure ecstasy, taking in deep breaths, a little grin clearly written on his face. He was squeezing one of the chair legs, his fingers tightly wrapped around it.

It lasted all too shortly. Just as Scorpius was getting ready to utilize some of his more practiced skills, Albus moaned, “I’m going to –“

Scorpius smiled and wrapped his lips around Albus’ prick, sucking his cheeks in. Albus came with another moan, his hot fluids shooting into the back of Scorpius’ throat. Albus tasted delicious, with just the right amount of saltiness.

When Albus laid back, spent, Scorpius finally extracted his mouth and looked up at his boyfriend with excitement in his eyes. They stared transfixed at each other, unable to look away from anything else.

"Hem hem," they heard behind them. Scorpius and Albus both looked up to find one of the witches standing above them in the doorway. "That sort of behavior is not tolerated here, even by patrons such as yourself, Mr. Malfoy."

Scorpius bit back a smile and, with as serious a face as he could possibly muster, replied, "Of course not. It won't happen again."

"I should hope not," she sniffed. "Your purchases are wrapped up at the front counter. I suggest you also purchase THOSE if you do not wish for me to let your mother know what you were doing in here."

"Understood," he responded. "You heard the lady, Potter. Looks like we have to buy those trousers anyways."

Once the saleswitch left, the two burst into nervous laughter. "You know what this means?" Scorpius asked.

"What?"

"We should probably tell our parents."

"About what?" Albus asked slowly.

"Us."

******

Hogwarts students were finally finished with their exams and were arriving in London via the Hogwarts Express for the holidays. Albus folded up his fashion magazines, sticking them in his bag.

It had been several weeks since the trip to Hogsmeade. Since then, Albus and Scorpius spent most of their time together. Scorpius claimed it was because someone was bound to move in and ambush Albus when he wasn't there. Albus just assumed that was his Slytherin way of telling him that he liked spending time together.

While Albus hadn't specifically come out and announced he was gay, most of the 6th year students assumed that was the case. He hadn't received much trouble for it, mainly because he looked so much better. His new look was far bigger news than him being gay.

Scorpius hadn't pushed Albus into doing anything more physical, which Albus was grateful for. He had heard rumors that Scorpius moved quickly and moved THROUGH men quickly. The Scorpius he knew was kind and respectful of Albus' nerves. Scorpius also did incredibly sweet things for him, like carrying his book bag or even discussing the plot line of his latest short story. Albus was sure that Scorpius must feel strongly for him, to be acting like such a…well, like a smitten Gryffindor.

Albus turned to Scorpius and gave him a smile. "Are you ready to tell them?" he asked.

Scorpius put his arm around Albus. "Of course. My dad will have his small tantrum and then be fine with it."

"Well, and our dads have had drinks several times together, right? They don't hate each other."

"Not anymore."

"No."

"Your dad was a right shit to my dad though," Scorpius muttered. Albus raised an eyebrow. "He called my family, 'the wrong sort'."

"Oh really?" Albus asked. "I heard YOUR DAD called Aunt Hermione the 'M' word and tried to get my dad expelled by snitching on him to Filch."

"Yeah but my dad saved your dad's life."

"So did mine."

"Well then, I guess they're even."

"I guess they are."

They were silent for a few moments and then laughed nervously. "Ready?" Scorpius asked as the train came to a stop.

They walked out of the train together. Albus saw his parents waiting for him, Lily, and James, Scorpius' parents behind them. "Well, here goes nothing," Albus said as they approached their parents.

His mother was the first to react. "ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO YOUR HAIR?" she shrieked.

"It's called the 'Harry Potter,'" Albus replied with a shrug.

"First Lily gets that ridiculous purple streak and now you're cutting your hair like THAT?"

"I like it," Albus' father offered.

"Well YOU would, you're the one who made it famous," she snapped. She paused and looked Albus up and down. "You do look lovely, darling. I'm so glad you're taking care of yourself."

"Is there a special girl?" his dad asked with a wink.

Albus chuckled and glanced at Scorpius, who was now walking with his parents out from their platform. "Not exactly."

"Well Lily hinted in one of her letters that you found someone special," his dad grinned, opening his arms to give Lily a large hug, James also joining them.

Lily and James both started laughing, Albus turning bright red. "Mom? Dad? Can we get out of the platform and I can tell you all about it when we get home?"

"Of course!" Ginny clapped her hands and busied herself by taking Albus' trunk from him. Albus wondered why she had suddenly started working faster, then noticed Geoff walking by with his single father. He shook his head. He didn't think those two would ever be able to look at each other again.

"Can we Apparate?" James asked excitedly.

"Absolutely not."

"Why not?" he whined. "I got my license LAST YEAR. You NEVER let me Apparate."

"You know what? You go ahead and Apparate. Make us dinner while you're at it," Ginny suggested.

"No THANK YOU," James replied as they walked out of the Underground and approached a car in the parking lot.

"Don't worry," Harry said. "You won't Splinch yourself in a car."

"I didn't Splinch myself!" James exclaimed. "It was HALF of an ear the first test! HALF AN EAR!"

This normally would have been Albus' cue to join in on the poking fun of James. He so rarely got to do so, it was always a nice change. This time, he was so nervous about the conversation he was about to have with his parents that he couldn’t even muster an annoying little brother attitude.

******

"WHO?"

"Scorpius Malfoy," Albus muttered again, twiddling his thumbs.

They had finally made it home and his parents asked and asked about Albus' mysterious girl for over 10 minutes until he finally told them that it wasn't a girl. They quickly moved past that fact, and continued to push, Ginny asking in horror if it was Geoff. Albus scoffed and finally admitted to dating Scorpius.

"I just don't understand," Ginny said, fanning herself with the latest edition of Witch Weekly.

"How did it come about, Al?" Harry asked gently, but the blood was drained from his face.

"He offered to help me with my appearance and then wanted to be my date at the wedding."

Ginny and Harry exchanged a glance between the two of them. "Well," Harry started. "That's great. I'm glad you've cleaned yourself up and found someone who makes you happy."

Ginny and Albus both gave him a look of shock. "What?" they both asked in unison.

"Ginny, we can't be harsh on who Albus chooses to date. He's nearly 17. Scorpius has clearly been a good influence on him, hasn't he?"

Ginny bit her lip. "Yes, but it's a MALFOY. Not to mention the fact that-"

"Mum, I really do like him! I thought it was fishy too, but Scorpius likes me! We spent the entire last month together! He's a great bloke."

Harry put a hand on his wife's shoulder and gave her an intense look. She gave a defeated sigh. "I suppose you are free to date whoever you want to date," she said.

Albus punched the air victoriously. "Also, can Scorpius come over a few days before the wedding? I kind of already told him he could."

"Of course, Al. But he'll be sleeping in the GUEST ROOM," Harry said sternly.

"Thank you! And Mom? Dad? Thanks for being so understanding about all of this," Albus said. "I know it's a lot to sink in."

"You don't even realize how much there is," Ginny said, still clearly numb from the shock.

Harry nodded. "Right. Off you go. I'm sure you have a bit to unpack."

As Albus walked away, he couldn't help but grin. While what his parents SAID was supportive, he knew that it would take a lot for them to get used to this new information. However, they would come around. This was turning out to be a pretty successful holiday so far. In just a few short days, he would get to spend an entire week with his boyfriend!

******

As a knock sounded at the door, Albus tore across Grimmauld Place to answer it. "I'VE GOT IT!" he roared as Lily walked toward it.

"Jeez," she muttered.

Albus flew the door open with a goofy grin. There stood Scorpius, looking quite posh as usual. He wore tailored black slacks, with swirly patterns woven down the legs and a simple button-up shirt made of out chiffon. Albus smiled at the ruffles around the collar - TOTALLY Scorpius. While Albus had a rather silly smile on his face, Scorpius' facial expression was one of total control. Albus could see the excitement shining in his eyes though, which made him smile even more. However, Scorpius was accompanied by his father, looking slightly less thrilled than his son.

"Good afternoon Scorpius, Mr. Malfoy."

"Master Potter," Draco nodded at Albus. "Is your father around?" he asked.

"Yeah, come on in. I'll get him for you," Albus bade them inside and to the living room. "DAD! WHERE ARE YOU!" he bellowed.

"BLOODY HELL ALBUS STOP WITH ALL OF THE YELLI - Oh hello Malfoy."

“Potter. I was hoping we could have a quick chat – over some scotch perhaps?”

"Yes, yes, of course. I was meaning to Floo you, to discuss -"

Draco held up a hand, silencing Harry at once. "No need. I'm in dire need of something strong," he said firmly, casting his eyes at their sons.

After they left, Albus gave Scorpius a nervous look. Scorpius chuckled and shook his head. "My dad has been wandering around like a little drama queen all week since I told them about us. Mind you, my mother was thrilled. You're the most normal bloke I've ever dated."

Albus reached for Scorpius' hands, pulling him in closer. "Oh am I now?" Albus asked softly.

"Of course," Scorpius replied huskily, leaning in to kiss Albus.

"Ugh, get a room," gagged James.

"I know he's your brother, Albus, but I may have to hex him at some point this week," Scorpius said, his lips pressing against Albus'.

Albus pulled away to glare at his brother. "James, I know ALL about your trysts with Erin Edgecombe. I know our parents don't know about the time you used their BED for one of those, but I DO. What that means is that you will leave us alone during the holidays or I tell them."

"Ooh Potter, very Slytherin of you," Scorpius commented with a smirk at James' dumbstruck face.

"Come on, let me show you around. The house is huge," Albus said, pulling Scorpius along.

"I'm far more interested in the bedroom," Scorpius replied.

"Fine, I'll take you there first."

Albus led Scorpius to his bedroom, which had once belonged to Sirius Black's brother, Regulus Black. Even though he was a Death Eater, Albus still admired some of the decor. In fact, Albus made his parents keep the etched drawing of the willow tree on the east wall. It took an enormous amount of wand control to create that.

He glanced around. In the few days he had been home, he pinned some of his favorite designs from Scorpius' magazines to the wall, the designer names labeled next to them. He hoped that it would show his commitment to Scorpius and what was important to him. Across from that wall were several posters, one of his mom with her old Holyhead Harpies team - that one would probably have to go soon, and several blown up posters of his favorite book covers. He also had pasted several large pieces of parchment revealing his work in Arithmancy. His bed was large, with a simple Ravenclaw-blue comforter and matching pillows. The floor was a bit of a mess, with old clothes strewn all over the place, and crumpled up bits of his writing that hadn't made it to the trash can.

Scorpius looked around in wonder. "I've never been in a room that was so…"

"Quaint?" Albus suggested.

"Messy," Scorpius replied. "Well, we should break your room in I suppose."

"Wha-" Albus started to say, but before he could finish, Scorpius tackled him to the bed, snogging him senseless.

Albus barely had time to breathe, but wrapped his fingers in Scorpius' soft hair, relishing in his boyfriend's clean scent. As their tongues tangled up in each other, Scorpius reached underneath Albus' shirt, stroking his spine up and down. Albus moaned and forcefully flipped them over so Scorpius was underneath him.

"Showing some bollocks, Potter?" Scorpius murmured into his lips.

"You like it?" Albus asked, running his hands down Scorpius' arms, reaching his wrists, and pinning him to the bed. Scorpius let out a whimper of appreciation. Albus dove back into their kiss, keeping Scorpius held down as he writhed underneath him. Albus could feel his erection pressing against Scorpius', and it felt like heaven. This sweet bliss, that had once seemed so far away, was actually happening. He had never thought in a million years that someone would find him attractive and want to be with him in this way. Scorpius fit him like a glove, like a soft fleece glove made by Armiata. He was the perfect size, shape, and helped Albus look loads better just by being around him.

Despite the fact he was being held down, Scorpius deepened the kiss, pulling up as high as he could go and thrusting his groin against Albus'.

This was going to be the best winter holidays ever.

******

The past week had been exhausting. His father had made several jabs at the Weasley family before, but Scorpius did not realize just how hectic the Weasleys were until he lived with them. Sure, cover up their names and call them Potters, Delacours, Johnsons, what you will, but they were still Weasleys at heart. He counted no fewer than 15 gingers roaming Grimmauld Place one morning, helping Teddy get ready for his big wedding day.

Oddly enough, Scorpius had fit right in. He was as respectful as he could be and even made a few suggestions to George Weasley, the owner of the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. George had responded with something along the lines of, "You know, despite the fact that your father is a right shit, you're not too bad." Scorpius took that as a compliment and decided to refrain from telling his father about said conversation.

With the exception of the puffed-out chest of Harry Potter glowering at him every time he saw him and Albus holding hands, life with the Potters really wasn’t all that bad

He would deny it to most people, but Scorpius was very excited for the wedding. He loved all the spectacle people made of the bride and groom and he ADORED all of the planning that went into a wedding. It was up to the happy couple, and since it was a wedding, no expense was ignored. Victoire had chosen to pay homage to her parent's wedding, which had been interrupted by Death Eaters and do decorations very similar to theirs. Scorpius could appreciate a vintage option.

Besides the prepping for the wedding, there was also Albus to look forward to. Even though Scorpius was respecting Albus' boundaries, they were killing him. He wanked twice a day, desperately trying to relieve himself after a particularly intense snogging session. Scorpius tried to deny it over and over to himself, but he could no longer ignore it: he was smitten with Albus Severus Potter.

Everything the boy did, Scorpius couldn't help but find it cute. Personally, he was disgusted with himself for acting like such a Hufflepuff; yet, part of him didn't give a damn how he was acting. The fashion disaster made him happy.

Unfortunately, there was a rather unpleasant exchange between Scorpius and Roxanne one morning after breakfast. She had wanted him to accompany her on a shopping trip in London, something they always did during the hols, and Scorpius had chosen to play a pickup game of Quidditch with Albus and his family instead. She had furiously shouted that he was turning into a sodding Gryffindor and that he shouldn't talk to her until he snapped out of this nonsense.

Sure, the words hurt, but Scorpius knew she would come around eventually. Even though he knew he was acting a bit foolish, maybe this was a good time in his life to experiment with the nicer side of relationships. He was a teenager; that was the only excuse he needed to act daft.

******

The morning of the wedding, everyone was running around frantically. Teddy was yelling about his comber bun being the wrong color, Ginny was throwing a fit over Lily's rather revealing choice of dress, James was pelting everyone he could with blueberries, and Albus was having a nervous breakdown over having everyone seeing him with his new look. Scorpius decided to hide in his room until it was time to leave. All of the stress would give him worry lines, and he would NOT stand for that.

"Scorp," he heard at the door.

"Al," he responded sarcastically, then turned around, a grin on his face.

Albus flopped on the bed next to Scorpius. "Not sure how I feel about you using that nickname."

"Not sure how I feel about 'Scorp' either."

Albus gave him a chaste kiss and rolled on his side, facing Scorpius. "I know how much you like weddings."

Scorpius scoffed, then softened his face. "Okay, fine, I like weddings."

"For someone who is such a Slytherin, you can be pretty mushy."

"Whatever, AL," Scorpius made a face at Albus.

"You know, Teddy and Victoire are going to the Caribbean for their honeymoon."

"The Caribbean Islands are so pretty," Scorpius said softly. "I went there once when I was little."

"I don't think they'll be seeing too much outside of the bedroom," Albus grinned.

"No, probably not," Scorpius replied.

Albus waved his wand around the room. The walls were instantly painted to show palm trees, a beach, and a gorgeous red sunset. Scorpius stared at him. "I thought - after the wedding - we could have our OWN little - erm - honeymoon in the Caribbean. My parents are going to be staying at Shell Cottage to help clean up the mess and Lily will be with Dominique and Roxanne…and James will be with George and Angelina. We could - come back here and -"

Scorpius shut him up with a fierce kiss. "That sounds like a BRILLIANT idea, Albus," he said when he finally pulled away.

"ALBUS! SCORPIUS! STOP SNOGGING AND COME DOWN TO HELP WITH THE ICE SCULPTURE!" they heard Lily's voice screeching downstairs.

Albus groaned and sat up. "You ready for the wedding? I know how much you love seeing all of the Weasleys."

"At least there's an entire Veela family wandering around," Scorpius muttered.

"Oh REALLY?" Albus asked, standing up. "If that's what you're into, then I guess I'll be on my merry way."

Scorpius stood up and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. "You know you're the sexiest creature on earth. The Veela wouldn't distract me even if they tried."

Albus gave Scorpius his favorite smile, wide with his teeth showing, eyes bright. "Let's get going," he finally said, and they walked out together.

******

The wedding itself was beautiful. Teddy looked quite fit in his dress robes, and Victoire was stunning as usual. Scorpius particularly enjoyed the Bonding Ceremony, involving laces of vines wrapped around their joined hands and then magicked into bright light, sending it up through their arms and straight to their hearts, representing a bond that would last forever.

He knew it was silly, but Scorpius couldn’t help but be taken to a place in which he would be getting married as well. He saw himself in dress robes – in his own design, of course – marrying the man he loved. A flash of dark messy hair and freckles passed through his mind. He gave a sigh and turned to Albus, who was watching the ceremony intently. When had he fallen for this quirky Ravenclaw boy?

Quickly after, they were all ushered into the large tent and started the eating and dancing. Scorpius quickly pulled Albus onto the dance floor, showing him how to do a basic two step. The bloke was pants at it, but his attempts at keeping up with him were still appreciated. Plus, he looked so adorable stepping on his own feet that Scorpius couldn’t help but enjoy himself. He caught his father’s eye, who gave him an approving nod. He hated admitting it, even to himself, but his father’s approval was one of the most important things in his life.

Albus had received many compliments on his new look. The _Daily Prophet_ had even done an exclusive interview with their family, discussing how the Potter family was short-listed for Britain’s Most Beautiful Family now that Albus had cleaned himself up. Scorpius knew that the award meant nothing to their family, but everyone was just so pleased that Albus had finally started caring about his appearance.

“Now, Scorpius, the most important part of the wedding is about to happen,” Albus said, snapping Scorpius out of his thoughts.

“Oh?” Scorpius asked, looking around.

“The cake.”

Scorpius chuckled. “You _would_ say that, wouldn’t you?” he asked, swooping to Albus’ face for a chaste kiss.

“Come, let’s sit down and eat,” Albus tugged him over to a table serving said cake. They found their dessert and joined their friends.

That was when it all went wrong.

Roxanne joined the table, with Scorpius sitting next to Albus as he stuffed his face with chocolate cake. "Wow, Albus, you sure do look posh today."

Albus grinned. "Scorpius helped me pick it out. Giorgio Armani," he showed off the dark gray robes.

"I see. And tell me, who do you think the next biggest men's designer will be?"

"Oh, it's got to be Brenden Jacobs. Only because he's living through his father, but did you SEE his collection at Paris Fashion week? He's got his own style now."

"Did you see the secret show collection by Gregliani?"

"Who DIDN'T? I think they intentionally leaked it to _Amortentia_. That magazine tells _everyone_ who is in this season."

Scorpius narrowed his eyes as Roxanne and Albus chatted more about the latest fashions. What was she up to?

"Well," Roxanne said, clapping her hands together. "You sure did a good job, Scorpius."

Scorpius nodded and glanced at Albus, who was beaming at her.

"You've definitely earned that Gucci clutch. Let me tell you, when Dominique told me about the bet, I didn't even think you would win the Galleons. But you had something else planned, didn't you? You decided to romance the little bugger!" she exclaimed.

Scorpius closed his eyes. There it was. There was her motivation. He waited several seconds for Albus to speak up. Sure enough, "What is she talking about?"

"Your precious Scorpius didn't tell you? He made a bet with Dominique that you would be able to spout off fashion trivia by the wedding - as you just did. If he won, he would receive the limited edition Gucci clutch. Dominique is going to be quite disappointed that she has to give that up. You just had to go and play the romance card, didn't you?" Roxanne asked. "We should have seen it coming. Play up the charming gay man to the naive boy who never had anyone fancy him before, right?"

"Stop it, Roxanne," Scorpius said quietly.

Albus stared at Scorpius. "She's telling the truth?"

Scorpius turned and looked at Albus. He had an expression of shock on his face, mingled with confusion. "In a way, I suppose that's how you could -"

"Is she telling the truth or not? Did you make a bet with them to get me to dress better?"

"Oh, Albus, what's the problem in that? I can actually LOOK at you now without retching into my goblet -"

"SHUT UP!" Albus yelled. Half the tent went silent, staring at the three of them.

Scorpius' mind was racing. He had given up on the Slytherin approach of trying to stay calm. Albus meant more to him than that. Still - what could he say? What would Albus believe?

It was too late. Albus was storming away from the tent, walking to the nearest Apparation point. As Scorpius rushed to Albus, Roxanne held him back. He spun around and slapped her. "How could you do that?" he cried. "WHY?"

She rubbed her cheek. "Why?" she asked darkly. "It seems as though you've forgotten your place in life, Scorpius. Why, not even five months ago, you would have found this positively hysterical. Sure, you would have been less vocal about it than I was, but you would have enjoyed it. We're in the business of using people. We're Slytherins," she hissed. "You were quickly turning into a Potter lap dog or a Weasley plaything. Dominique and I have worked tirelessly to stay away from that stereotype. We can't have you ruining that."

"This was about you? Not even out of revenge?"

Roxanne cackled. "You really have gotten out of touch with your inner-snake, haven't you? You'll thank me for this later, I promise."

******

The rest of the holidays were a blur. Scorpius went back to his parent's manor in Wiltshire, moping in his room. Albus had sent back all of his letters and had blocked his house from the Floo.

The day before the holidays were over, his father knocked on his door. Scorpius muttered for him to come in. "Still depressed?" Draco asked.

Scoprius sighed. "I really fucked up this time."

"Watch your language, boy."

"Sorry. I messed up real bad."

"You know, I wasn't thrilled about you dating, Potter."

"Really?" Scorpius asked sarcastically.

Draco thwacked Scorpius on the back of the head. "Really. You know his father and I didn't get along. That's an understatement. We HATED each other. But that last year, when the Dark Lord stayed here, forcing me to -" he stopped. "I got to do a lot of thinking about Potter and his friends. Our ideologies were different, but that didn't mean that we had to KILL each other. Plus, schoolboy squabbles mean so little once you're involved in a war. I saved his arse when the Snatchers brought them here."

"Dad, you've told me all of this before."

"You're right. What I'm trying to say is that the Potter family isn't all that bad and you have my approval."

"But Albus is furious with me," Scorpius said miserably.

"Since when has that ever stopped a Malfoy from getting his way?" Draco asked sharply. "Scorpius, if someone as simple-minded as Albus Severus Potter can deny you and your charm, then I may have disown you as my son. When you get back on the train to Hogwarts, hunt him down, snog him senseless, and make sure he knows how you REALLY feel, not what the stupid Weasley bint put in his mind."

Scorpius broke into the first smile he had since the wedding. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now, start packing. Your mother tried to compensate for your depression by buying more clothes."

"She always does," Scorpius said, giving his father a one-armed hug.

******

Albus was nervous. He had spent the entire rest of his holiday break cooped up in his room, listening to sad vintage Muggle music he stole from his Aunt Hermione and sang his heart out to Adele, a singer who clearly understood the pain he was going through. Why couldn't wizarding music sound as angelic as this?

His parents had tried to console him at first, sitting at the edge of the bed and telling him that things would be alright. They recanted stories from their own youth that dealt with heartbreak (he was particularly mortified at his father's recollection of his relationship with Professor Chang), but that helped none. Albus felt scandalized, that he had merely been putty in Scorpius' hands, a PROJECT, a mere bet between three self-involved Slytherins. It didn't matter how Scorpius felt, he had been used as a form of crass entertainment.

Scorpius had tried to contact him, but Albus just couldn't handle any more lies. He had no interest in explanations. Maybe Scorpius actually had feelings for him, but there was no way he could ever look at Scorpius again without seeing that stupid Gucci clutch. It was gaudy anyway, with those diamonds along the inseam.

He had bade farewell to his parents and was now on the Hogwarts Express. He took an empty compartment in the back of the train since he still didn't feel much like talking.

Scorpius clearly felt differently.

"You didn't answer any of my letters," Scorpius said in the doorway, turning and sliding it shut.

Albus sat up. "That's because I didn't read them."

"You didn't even give me a chance to explain."

"You made a bet with your friends that you could make me a fashion-conscious pouf. If you won, you would win a Gucci clutch. That's all I was to you, wasn't I? A means to an end."

"No, I really liked you!" Scorpius insisted, moving in closer. Albus could hear the softness in his voice, completely contrasting from his normally cool tone. "You were so different from the other boys I've dated-"

"Right. I was ugly."

"No," Scorpius replied desperately, searching for the right words. "You were – were – real. Yes, I did plan on using romantic sway to convince you to change, but from the moment I kissed you in my dorm room, I knew that I actually liked you. I – I –"

Albus stared. He knew how hard it was for Scorpius to actually reveal his feelings. His cool demeanor was gone, replaced by a displaced boy, looking as though he had his favorite teddy taken away from him.

"I'm in love with you," Scorpius whimpered, biting his lip. "There. I am in love with you, Albus Severus Potter. Knowing that I hurt you was THE WORST feeling I've ever had in my life. And let me tell you, I've worn four inch stilettos before."

Albus let out a nervous laugh. "Did you just compare heartbreak to wearing high heels?"

"If the shoe fits…or rather, if it doesn't…" Scorpius gave a smile. "There's something else. I did win that Gucci clutch fair and square." Albus' cold exterior went up, crossing his arms. "Will you just wait a bloody second before you get mad at me again? I sold it."

"You sold a vintage limited edition Gucci clutch?" Albus stared at him.

"Well, yeah. And I - well, I bought you a condo in the Caribbean with the money. I know it won't make up for what I did," Scorpius rambled. "But hopefully, you can forgive me and we can stay there for part of the summer hols?"

"You bought a condo."

"I bought _you_ a condo."

"You bought ME a condo."

"You're quite fond of repeating the things I say, aren't you?"

"Shove off."

"I also got you your Christmas present. You never did get to open it," Scorpius took a small parcel from his pocket and enlarged it, passing it to Albus.

Albus unwrapped the elegantly wrapped paper and opened the lid to the box. There they were, those black leather trousers, smelling faintly of dragon breath. He laughed and shook his head. "You ponce."

"You won't see me this mushy very often, Potter, so enjoy this while you can."

Albus put the parcel down on the seat and moved closer to Scorpius, lacing their fingers together. "What tells you that I want to enjoy your mushiness?"

Scorpius put on his best Slytherin grin. "Something tells me that you've forgiven me and again, are unable to resist my charms."

Albus couldn't help but smile. Scorpius had done some insane things to get Albus to forgive him. Hell, he had even told his parents about their relationship. He knew that if they were to continue, the strength of their love would be tested time and time again, but Albus figured that if Scorpius was willing to sell that extravagant Gucci clutch for him, he was telling the truth. Scorpius truly did love him.

It was strange, knowing that someone had feelings so strong for him. Maybe they could give it another shot, this time without the nonsensical makeover and deceit.

"Okay Scorpius. It will take a while, but I'm sure we can work something out," Albus admitted.

"Perfect," Scorpius responded, pulling Albus into a kiss.

They could work something out indeed.

FIN


End file.
